Technician's On-the-Job Guide to Networking

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Technician's On-the-Job Guide to Networking

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• Relates to: NetWare 6 CNE | NetWare 5 CNA | NetWare 6 CNA | NetWare 5 CNE

Although the Certified Novell Engineer (CNE) does not dominate the certification industry like it did a decade ago, it is still a prominent certification to achieve. It's a good choice if you want to round out your networking knowledge and show that you're not vendor-specific. Also, you can stand out from those no longer keeping their CNE current by attaining the latest CNE offering. The NetWare 5 CNE is still around, but most networking experts will likely want to achieve the NetWare 6 CNE, which was released back in the summer of 2001.

We will discuss the NetWare 5 and 6 CNE requirements as well point out the significance of the September 30, 2003 and October 31, 2003 dates to those thinking of, or actually pursuing, Novell certifications and exams.

NetWare 5 CNE

To achieve the NetWare 5 CNE, you'll need to tackle 5 core exams and then choose one elective from a choice of eight exams. The core exams are:

50-653 - NetWare 5.1 Administration v2.0
50-632 - Networking Technologies (This can be waived if you hold either CompTIA's Network+ or Microsoft's MCSE.)
50-654 - NetWare 5.1 Advanced Administration
50-664 - Novell eDirectory Design and Implementation
50-658 - Service and Support

The elective exam must be chosen from this list:

50-650 - Internet Security Management with BorderManager Enterprise Edition 3.5 Version 1.02
50-660 - Network Management Using ManageWise 2.7
50-649 - TCP/IP for Networking Professionals
50-662 - Desktop Management with ZENworks for Desktops 3 (see Retiring Exams section below)
50-683 - Desktop Management with ZENworks for Desktops 4
50-663 - Integrating Novell eDirectory with Active Directory
50-665 - GroupWise 6 Administration
50-669 - Integrating Novell eDirectory with Windows NT

For more on this aging track, click here: http://www.novell.com/training/certinfo/cne/nw5.html

NetWare 6 CNE

The NetWare 6 program is much more streamlined than the 5 program. It consists of five exams:

50-677 - Foundations of Novell Networking
50-681 - Novell Network Management: NetWare 6
50-682 - Advanced Novell Network Management: NetWare 6
50-664 - Novell eDirectory Design & Implementation
50-683 - Desktop Management with ZENworks for Desktops 4

In terms of exam format, exams falling under both tracks may be either "form or adaptive and can change without notice at any time."

For more on this latest track, click here:
http://www.novell.com/training/certinfo/cne/nw6.html

Both the NetWare 5 and 6 tracks require that you sign the Novell Training Services Certification Agreement.

Upgrade Deadlines

For the tens of thousands of people who hold a NetWare 4 or 5 CNE, mark October 31, 2003 on your calendar. IntraNetWare and NetWare 4 CNEs must pass the 50-678, NetWare 4 to NetWare 6 CNE Upgrade Prerequisite, exam before this date to upgrade to the NetWare 6 CNE. Likewise, NetWare 5 CNEs must pass the 50-676, Upgrading to NetWare 6, exam, before this date.

Retiring Exams

An even closer deadline is September 30, 2003. Those wanting to pass these exams must do so before then:

50-644 - Integrating NetWare with Windows NT v1.02
50-639 - NetWare 5 Admin
50-640 - NetWare 5 Advanced Admin
50-634 - NDS Design & Implementation

The last date that these exams may be used for certification is September 30, 2004. Note that the 50-662, Desktop Management with ZENworks for Desktops 3, already retired on July 10, 2003.

See the CNE Progress Chart (PDF file) for more details.

Summary

The NetWare 6 CNE is worth a second look. If you work predominantly with Novell products, then it's an obvious choice of a certification to pursue. But even if you only work occasionally with NetWare, pursuing this certification will teach you a lot about networking in general and will help round out your networking knowledge. If you already hold a CNE 4 or 5, it only takes one exam to upgrade. With the October 31st deadline looming, you had better make your upgrade decision soon.